Alphabet Vignettes
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Brief glimpses into the life of Illya Kuryakin. Fairly new to the MFU fandom so please don't be too harsh. AU
1. America

Illya Nickovetch Kuryakin didn't quite know what to expect when he stepped onto American soil for the very first time. He'd been stationed in England before so was familiar with democracy, but he also knew that there were differences between the two countries. The U.K. was much more socialist than the United States was, with higher taxes but services such as health care and a college education offered for free, unlike in the United States. Illya shuddered to think of innocent people dying of treatable medical conditions simply because they couldn't afford to pay for doctors or medicine. That was a situation that would never happen in his own country or in England but could well happen in the U.S.

Still, Illya strongly approved of the social programs being implemented by the current president, Lyndon Johnson, as well as the civil rights championed by the recently slain president, John F. Kennedy.

Both the U.S. and the U.K. had a two-party political system, unlike the U.S.S.R. Illya found that he agreed much more with the values and beliefs of the Labor party rather than the Conservative party in the U.K. He wondered whether his new partner, Napoleon Solo, was a Democrat or a Republican. He very much hoped that Napoleon was a Democrat; however, he knew that, whatever the case was, if they were going to work together closely, he and his partner were going to have to be able to trust one another.

Another thing he was certain of was that life in the United States would be very different from the life he'd lived so far. He couldn't wait to find out what new challenges he was about to face.


	2. Bomb

"We'd better hurry," Napoleon urged Illya. "We don't have much time left." The two men were searching for a bomb that had been planted by THRUSH in a government building. As the minutes passed, they became more and more desperate to find it before it went off.

"How did you find out about it, anyway?" Illya asked his partner. Napoleon just grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, _that _way." Illya frowned. "Well, was she pretty?"

"Pretty enough," Napoleon replied. "More importantly, she had the information I needed."

Napoleon and Illya found the bomb and dismantled it three seconds before it would have detonated, thereby saving several hundred lives.

"Whew! That was close," Napoleon said when it was all over.

"Well, I suppose that in this case, the ends justify the means," Illya admitted.

"As so often proves to be the case," Napoleon added. Illya ignored him.


	3. Communism

"Papa, why are the Americans different from us?" six-year-old Illya Kuryakin asked his father, Nicolai. Illya was a cute little boy with unruly blond hair, blue eyes, and one front tooth missing.

"Well, son, they just have a whole different way of doing things," Nicolai replied. "Over here, the government runs everything and makes sure that everyone gets what they need and no more. In America there are greedy rich people who take everything and leave the poor people to do without. It's a very unfair system. When their stock market crashed ten years ago, everything just fell apart. Nothing like that would ever happen here."

"But Papa, why do people keep disappearing?" People had been disappearing for as long as Illya could remember. Some of them had even been the parents of his friends.

"Some people who live here don't agree with the way things are done," Nicolai explained. "Comrade Stalin has to purge our nation of all those who disagree with us so that the rest of us can all get along and live in peace."

"Is it true that they are sent to Siberia to freeze or starve to death?"

"Of course not," Nicolai said quickly, not looking at his son. "They are merely sent somewhere where they can be taught to think differently."

"Oh." Nicolai was relieved to see that his son seemed satisfied with that answer.

"There may be a war coming soon with Germany," Nicolai told Illya. "A crazy man named Adolf Hitler wants to make our country part of his own. I might have to go and fight."

Before Illya had only been worried that his father might also disappear. Now he was even more worried about Nicolai having to go to war.


	4. Dance

Illya watched as Napoleon danced with the most beautiful woman present, effortlessly twirling her around in time to the music. It wasn't that Illya was shy, or that he didn't like to dance. He simply hadn't seen a woman who impressed him as a desirable dancing partner yet.

"That brunette over there sure looks like she's hoping you'll ask her to dance," Napoleon whispered as he waltzed past.

Illya saw her immediately, and wondered why he hadn't noticed her before. Although she wasn't beautiful in the conventional way, she exuded a simple, wholesome quality which Illya found quite attractive. Her dark brown hair was cut short, with soft ringlets surrounding her face. Her dark brown eyes were gentle, yet they had an intelligent depth about them. Illya wondered why nobody had asked her to dance yet and had his answer a moment later when he noticed the braces on her legs.

Her eyes met his, and she smiled hopefully. That was all the encouragement he needed.

"Hello. My name is Illya," he told her. "Would you like to dance?"

Her smile lit up her whole face. "Certainly. I'm Trina," she said. "What country are you from, Illya?"

He told her. She gasped and stiffened slightly.

"We're not as scary as you might think." He chuckled softly. "It's true that there are a lot of differences in the way we do things, but deep down inside we're not that different from you. We laugh, cry, and fall in love just like you Americans do."

"What's really scary to me is THRUSH," Trina told him. "They killed my husband. He was in a building that they blew up. We'd only been married for six months. I still have nightmares about it sometimes."

"My condolences," said Illya. Her words made him think of his first love, Tanya. She'd been so young, her death so tragic. "I hope it brings you comfort to know that there are agents working full time against THRUSH, doing their best to reverse the evil they've done and continue to do."

"Of course it does," said Trina. "They have my undying admiration and gratitude."

Illya was blushing slightly and hoping desperately that Trina didn't notice. Forcing himself to think of something else, he wondered about the reason for the braces on her legs but was afraid it would be impolite to ask.

"I had polio when I was very young," Trina explained, as if reading his mind. "The doctors told my parents that I probably wouldn't live, and that if I did, I'd be completely paralyzed and dependent on an iron lung for life. I sure proved those doctors wrong."

Although Trina sounded cheerful, Illya was sober. He thought about how he loved gymnastics, ice skating, riding his bike. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to never be able to do those things.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Illya," Trina said, as if reading his mind again. "There's no need to. I can do anything I want to. So many polio victims have it so much worse than I do. I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones. I was just so happy when the vaccine finally came out. My generation will be the last one to have to worry about leg braces and iron lungs."

Illya was suddenly very glad he'd asked Trina to dance.

_A/N: Trina was the little girl who died in the Cary Grant/Irene Dunn movie 'Penny Serenade.' It's one of my favorite movies of all time although of course very sad. I decided to let Trina live and grow up and become Illya's love interest in this story. BTW in case you're wondering, Tanya's story also comes up in a later chapter..._


	5. Easter Eggs

"Tell me once again what the purpose is in hiding colored eggs for children to find and claiming that they were hidden by a rabbit," Illya said to Napoleon. "Of all the strange customs you Americans have, I find this to be one of the most bizarre."

"It has to do with the concept of springtime being the time for new growth and rebirth," Napoleon explained. "Eggs and rabbits are both symbols of fertility."

"There are religious elements as well, are there not?"

"Christians believe that Easter morning was when Jesus arose from the dead, so the symbolism involves resurrection as well," Napoleon told his partner.

"Why are the eggs dyed different colors?" asked Illya.

"I'm not sure. I never really thought about that," Napoleon replied. "I suppose it's to make them more appealing to the children."

"You Americans and your strange ways," Illya muttered, shaking his head.


	6. Fatherhood

"Congratulations, Mr. Kuryakin. You have a new daughter," the nurse told Illya.

"Is Trina all right?" asked Illya.

"Your wife is fine," the nurse assured him.

When Illya entered his wife's hospital room, he saw that Trina looked tired and pale but very happy. She held their newborn daughter in her arms.

He'd never been more proud of her.

"Would you like to hold her?" Trina asked her husband.

Gingerly Illya took the little bundle into his arms and looked into the newborn's tiny face. She grimaced as her unfocused eyes regarded her father curiously. Illya felt a sudden rush of overwhelming love, one such as he'd never felt before.

"I'd like to name her Lydia, if that's all right with you," said Trina.

"Of course it is." Illya's mother's name had been Lidiya, pronounced the same but spelled slightly differently.

"Lydia Katrina Illyinichna," Illya decided. "I will observe the American tradition of giving two first names, as I want her name to honor you as well."

Trina looked puzzled. "Ill...in...ich...na?"

Illya smiled. "Ill_yin_ichna. It's her patronymic. You see, in my country, the child's middle name is the father's name with either a male or female suffix."

"Oh, I see." Trina still looked a bit puzzled. "But how do you spell it?"


	7. Gymnastics

Illya was doing gymnastics. Trina sat on the bleachers watching him, a big jug of ice water at her side. Knowing that she was watching, he couldn't resist adding an extra little flourish here and there. She rewarded him with cheering and applause.

After standard gymnastic tricks, Illya demonstrated some of the self defense techniques he'd been trained in as an UNCLE agent. Then he walked over to her and poured himself a tall glass of ice water.

"Did you know that you can kill someone by hitting them in the nose?" he asked Trina. "By striking in an upward motion, you can break the bone and drive it up into their brain, killing them instantly."

"Have you ever killed anyone that way?" asked Trina.

"Yes." He didn't meet her eyes, and his voice was so low that she could barely hear it.

"More than one?" Her voice quivered.

He nodded and came around to sit beside her on the bleachers. "As you know, in my line of work, it's often a choice of either kill or be killed."

An awkward silence followed, one that was finally broken by Illya.

"Do you think differently of me now that you know that I have killed with my bare hands?"

Trina stared at her shoes in deep thought for what seemed like ages. "Of course not," she finally told him. "I know you well enough to know that you would never deliberately kill an innocent person."

Suddenly Illya gave her a devilish grin and knelt and began to remove her leg braces.

"Illya! What on earth are you doing?" She laughed, startled.

"You'll see." He winked at her, then picked her up and carried her to the trampoline. He gently sat her upon it, then climbed onto it himself and began to jump, sending Trina bouncing up into the air. Soon she was squealing with delight.

"Whee! It feels just like I'm flying!"

Illya laughed, enjoying watching her have fun. After awhile, he sat on the trampoline beside her and took her into his arms.

"Thank you," she said. "That was the most fun I've had since...before I got sick."

Illya gently brushed a few strands of moist hair back from her face, then kissed her forehead, her nose, and her lips as she ran her fingers through his blond hair. "I love you, Illya," she whispered.

Instantly his smile disappeared, and he turned away from her and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Trina's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "We were having such a nice time, and I had to go and ruin it."

"No," said Illya. "You didn't ruin it."

"But you don't feel the same way," she replied miserably.

Illya was silent for a long time. "There was a girl," he finally said. "Her name was Tanya. She was the first woman I ever made love to, and I was her first. Her brother was a ballet dancer who had defected to Canada. He was dying of cancer. Tanya wanted to see him one last time, and she didn't have time to go through all the red tape necessary to get an exit visa."

"I tried to warn her, to tell her that her plan would never work, but she just wouldn't listen. A KGB officer caught her trying to sneak aboard a westbound jet airplane. He yelled at her to stop and she ignored him, so he shot her. The bullet pierced her heart."

"Oh, Illya, I'm so sorry." Shocked and saddened by his tragic story, Trina tried her best to comfort the secret agent.

"Trinochka, you are very special to me," said Illya. "But I am afraid."

"It's all right," Trina told him. "I understand."


	8. Honeymoon

_Warning: Mild het_

Illya had honored Trina's wish to save physical intimacy for after the wedding. Now they slowly disrobed, eagerly exploring one another's bodies.

"Oh, darling!" Trina gasped, gently running her fingers over the many scars on Illya's torso.

"Mementos of various assignments that didn't go quite as planned." Illya chuckled ruefully. "As you know, the line of work I am in is very dangerous."

Trina looked a bit puzzled when she saw her new husband's privates for the first time. Illya knew why right away.

"Your first husband was circumcised, was he not?"

"Why, yes, I suppose he was."

"You Americans." Illya laughed and shook his head. "It is not that much different. Just an extra bit of skin around the tip is all." He pushed his foreskin back to show her. She looked relieved. Illya smiled indulgently. He found his new American wife's sweet innocence endearing, such a change from the sophistication of the girls back home.

He did, however, have concerns about what their love life would be like. He'd never been intimate with a woman who wore leg braces before, and he wasn't quite sure how it would work out. As it turned out, his worries had been unnecessary, as Trina was every bit as capable and passionate as any able-bodied woman he'd ever been with had been, and the intense love he had for her gave the experience even deeper meaning.

"Did I satisfy you?" Trina asked afterwards.

"You are everything I could have asked for and more, _milaya moya," _Illya replied.

Contented, they lay in one another's arms, luxuriating in the sweetness of the warm and tender feelings they shared.


	9. Introduction

"Napoleon, this is Trina, the girl I met at the dance," Illya told his partner. He and Trina were meeting Napoleon at a diner for lunch.

"How do you do." Napoleon smiled and kissed Trina's hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Napoleon," said Trina with a brilliant smile.

"So, are we ready to order?" asked Illya.

"That's our Illya for you, always thinking about his stomach." Napoleon grinned and winked at Trina. Illya frowned at him.

Their food arrived shortly. The two men dug right in, while Trina took dainty bites of her hamburger and lightly munched french fries. After she'd finished her meal, she excused herself and went to the ladies' room.

"You're quite taken with her, aren't you?" Napoleon asked his partner.

"I enjoy her company very much," Illya replied.

"How much does she know about what you do for a living?" asked Napoleon.

"I told her that I'm in law enforcement," said Illya.

"But she doesn't know how truly dangerous the type of work you do is, that any time you say good-bye to her could be the last time."

Illya shook his head.

"Don't you think it's only fair that she knows exactly what she'd getting into before things go any further between the two of you?"

"You're right," Illya conceded. "I'll tell her everything right away. I know her well enough now that I can trust her."

Just then Trina returned from the restroom. "Trina, there's something very important that I need to discuss with you," said Illya.


	10. Jazz

It was Trina's first visit to Illya's apartment. The first thing she noticed was how sparsely furnished it was. In contrast to the homes of her friends, which often sported large stereos, television sets, and bookcases spilling over with books and magazines, Illya's living room contained merely a few necessary pieces of furniture and other ornamental items.

"Oh, those are darling!" Trina exclaimed, going to a shelf on which a series of identical dolls, each one decorated as a peasant woman and progressively smaller than the next, was displayed.

"They are called matryoshka dolls," Illya told her. "Each one fits inside the next larger one. See?" He showed her.

"How clever!" She noticed a stringed instrument with a triangular base in the corner. "What a funny looking guitar!"

Illya frowned. "It is not a guitar. It is a balalaika."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Trina was terribly embarrassed.

"It is all right." Illya chuckled. He picked the instrument up and played a simple tune. Then he sat it back down and went to his record player.

"This is the kind of music I like best," he announced, taking an Astrud Gilberto record from its sleeve and putting it on the record player.

Soon the soft strains of 'The Girl From Ipanema' filled the room. Illya sat on the sofa, and Trina sat beside him. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"This is what I love most," he said. 'Sharing my favorite music with my favorite girl."


	11. Kiss

One sunny Saturday, Illya and Trina spent the day at Coney Island with Napoleon and the woman he was dating at the time, Linda. They rode several rides, and then the men played dart games and won stuffed animals for the ladies. Illya won a large pink stuffed dog for Trina.

"Now you will have someone to cuddle up with at night," he said, winking at her. She blushed slightly and giggled.

They ate chili cheese dogs and french fries and watched a couple of shows, and then it was back to the rides.

Trina was excited as she (and her new pink dog) boarded the Ferris wheel with Illya. She'd always thought that riding the Ferris wheel together with the man whom she was growing to like more and more all the time would be romantic.

At last the car they were sitting in got to the very top, and they could look down and see a good bit of New York City.

"Wow," Trina breathed.

"It is quite a spectacular view," Illya agreed.

"I'm so happy to be here with you," she said.

"It is a beautiful day, and you are beautiful as well, Trinochka."

She giggled. "I love it when you call me that. No one else has ever called me that before."

He chuckled. "I am not surprised."

Gently he lifted her chin and kissed her lips. It was their first kiss. All the way back down she felt as if she were floating on air.


	12. Lollipop

_A/N: This chapter's a bit naughty, but not too bad. :)_

Trina was eating a lollipop. It was one of the long, slender kind, which made matters even worse.

"Where did you get that?" asked Illya. Trina rolled the lollipop around and around on her tongue, then gently sucked its tip. Illya felt his knees go weak.

"Macy's. It was on clearance." Trina sounded a bit apologetic. Illya hadn't even noticed that she was wearing a new blouse.

"That is all right. It is a pretty blouse, but I was talking about the lollipop."

"Oh! It was left over from Halloween. I thought I might as well get rid of them before they rot the kids' teeth out. We can't afford the dental bills." Illya was barely listening. He was staring at the lollipop, which was glistening with Trina's saliva.

"You didn't hear a word I just said."

"Sorry. Just a bit distracted." Illya smiled sheepishly. He could hear the faint strains of the television set in the den. The kids were watching 'The Brady Bunch'. _Chyort, _there was just entirely too much of the day left before bedtime.

"Oh, you want one too, don't you?" Trina laughed. "I'll get you one. There's plenty left. What flavor do you want?"

"That is not what I want." He grinned saucily at her.

"What _do _you want, then?"

He embraced her from behind and kissed her cheek. "Tell you tonight," he whispered in her ear.


	13. Miscarriage

Napoleon jumped as Illya burst into his office, his face wearing a devastated expression.

"I am sorry, but I must leave right away," Illya told his friend. "Trina has been admitted to the hospital, and I must find someone to keep Lydia for a few hours so that I can be with her."

"Say no more," said Napoleon. "I'm all caught up on my work for the day. I'll keep Lydia for you."

"Thank you, my friend."

Thirty minutes later, Napoleon was busy entertaining the rambunctious two-year-old as Illya rushed to the hospital, where he found a distraught Trina lying on a bed in the emergency room.

"I lost the baby, Illya," she sobbed.

"I am so sorry, _vozlyublennyy." _Illya held her hand as he stroked her hair soothingly.

"Everything was fine until about ten o'clock this morning," Trina continued. "All of a sudden I started getting these horrible cramps, much worse than when I'm on my period. I went to the bathroom and saw that I was bleeding really heavy and passing big clots. I was scared to death and rushed to the hospital as quickly as I could. The doctor examined me and told me that the baby's...gone." Trina began to sob harder. "Our baby's gone, Illya!"

Illya held his wife and rocked her as if she was a small child.

"It is going to be all right, _moya lyubov," _he told her. "I know that you are disappointed. I am disappointed as well, but it is all right. It was not your fault. It was just not meant to be this time."

"I wanted so badly to give Lydia a baby brother or sister," Trina said.

"We will someday," Illya assured her. We are both young and healthy. There is no reason we cannot try again when your body has had a chance to recover."

"Is Lydia all right?"

"She is fine. She is with Napoleon, and I know that I can trust him."

"He's been such a good friend to both of us, to all three of us, really," said Trina. "I don't know how we'd get by without him."

"I do not know either." Illya held his wife silently for awhile, thinking about how lucky they were to have Napoleon in their lives.


	14. Nazis

Illya had no cake on his eighth birthday. Soldiers had encircled the city, cutting off supplies from the outside world. Operation Barbarossa, the Nazis called it. All Illya knew was that it meant that he was hungry all the time.

A few days after his birthday, Illya's little sister, Masha, died. She'd been sick for days, and of course there was no medicine available. She got weaker and weaker, until finally one morning she didn't wake up. Her body joined those of countless others in one of the carriages rolling constantly through the city. There would be no grave, no marker, nothing to show that she'd ever existed at all.

The day Masha died was the day Illya saw the light go out of his mother's eyes. From that day forward, she went about her daily duties mechanically, hardly saying a word. The deep sorrow Illya saw in her eyes matched the aching emptiness he felt inside.

_If only Papa were here! _he told himself. But Papa was away, fighting in the war, and he, Illya, was now the man of the house at eight years old.

One day there was only a single piece of bread left.

"Eat it, Illya," Lidiya Kuryakin urged her son. "You have to stay strong and healthy for when Papa comes back from the war."

"No, Mama." Illya tore the piece of bread in half. "We will share as we always do."

"No." Lidiya was so weak that she could barely talk. "You are a growing boy, and you need the nutrients. If you do not eat the other half, it will go to waste, for I will not eat it."

"All right, Mama." Illya's voice quivered, and his guilt-ridden eyes never left his mother's face as he ate every crumb of the bread. Soon afterwards, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

All was quiet when Illya awoke the next morning. His stomach aching with hunger, he crept out of bed and went to see if his mother was all right.

Lidiya lay in bed pale and still. Gently Illya shook her arm. "Mama?"

There was no answer. Illya shook her arm more urgently next time. "Mama? Mama!"

By this time he was practically shouting. Still there was no response.

"Oh, Mama!" Big tears rolled down Illya's face as sobs wracked his body.

_A/N: The Battle of Kiev lasted from August 23-September 26, 1941 and cost more than 600,000 lives._


	15. Operation

"I know that the line of work he's in is very dangerous," Trina said glumly. "I guess I just never really expected anything like this to happen."

Illya had been rushed into emergency surgery following a shoot-out with THRUSH. He'd been shot in the chest, and the doctors were frantically trying to control the bleeding and repair the damage.

"He could die, you know." Trina wrung her hands as she looked at Napoleon in despair.

"I know," Napoleon said solemnly.

"I never meant to get serious about him, you know," Trina continued. "I kept telling myself that I shouldn't think of him as anything more than a friend, that it would be a big mistake to let myself fall in love with him. I know he isn't supposed to get married or anything. It just sort of...happened."

"Love isn't always logical, is it?" Napoleon smiled gently.

With tears in her eyes, Trina shook her head.

"I love him too, you know," Napoleon reminded her.

"I know."

"When you love someone, you know that there's always the risk that you will lose them," Napoleon said. "The important thing is to cherish the time that you do have with them, since you don't know how long it will last."

"You're right, of course." Trina managed a brave smile. "Still, it's just so hard not to hope that we might have a future together..."

"The sudden appearance of the surgeon cut short her reverie. "Good news," the doctor said. "The bleeding has finally stopped, and we've determined that there was no damage to any vital organs. After a few days of recuperation, he should be fine."

"Oh, thank you!" Trina exclaimed, hugging a grinning Napoleon.

"Looks like he lucked out again...this time," Napoleon said.

"This time," Trina echoed, determined to take Napoleon's advice and just enjoy the time she and Illya had together and try not to worry too much about what might happen in the future.


	16. Permission

It was one of the most nerve-wracking days in Illya Kuryakin's life. It was the day he planned to ask Mr. Waverly's permission to marry the love of his life, Trina Adams.

Illya hadn't meant to fall in love with Trina. He knew that, given the uncertainty of his long-term survival, it would be best for him to avoid any serious romantic relationships, so when he'd suddenly found himself thinking about Trina day and night, he'd decided it would be best to end the relationship.

Trina hadn't gotten angry or thrown a fit. She'd asked him why, and he'd tried to be as honest with her as he could. She'd looked at him with those big dark brown eyes of hers, and even telling himself that he was doing it primarily for her benefit hadn't made him feel much better.

After the break-up, Illya had tried following Napoleon's example in living the single's life to the fullest, but it ultimately hadn't worked out, as he'd found that no matter where he was or who he was with, he'd always still rather be with Trina.

One night in a jazz club he frequented often, he'd seen Trina in the company of a man whom he knew to be a dangerous THRUSH agent. Deeply concerned, he'd followed them back to the man's apartment, where he'd spied on them and caught the man in the process of raping Trina.

Illya had quickly broken into the apartment, rescued Trina, and taken her to the police station. From that night on, he'd known that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the lovely brunette.

"Mr. Waverly, sir," he began when he was allowed into his boss' office. "I'd like to request that you make an exception to policy and allow me to marry Trina Adams."

Mr. Waverly's eyebrow went up.

"I love Trina, sir, and I cannot bear the thought of having to give her up again. It also wouldn't be fair to expect her to remain single herself for my sake. She understands the risk of marriage to a man in my profession and is willing to accept them."

To his relief, Mr. Waverly didn't respond in the negative right away. He appeared to be at least seriously considering Illya's request. The younger man waited hopefully.

"You say that this young woman understands her risk of early widowhood and is willing to accept that."

"Yes, sir."

"And you give me your word that this relationship will not impede your ability to function in your utmost professional capacity in the least."

"Oh, no, sir, it won't!"

Mr. Waverly smiled. "In that case, congratulations, Mr. Kuryakin!"

"Oh, thank you, sir!"


	17. Questions

Illya waited at the police station as Trina was taken into an examining room and asked about what had happened to her. When she returned she just stared at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

"Do you want me to take you home now?" he asked. She nodded almost imperceptibly. Her stricken appearance pierced his soul.

The ride back to Trina's apartment was completely silent. Illya wondered about the wisdom of leaving her alone in the emotional state in which she was and toyed with the idea of trying to talk her into spending the night at the hospital.

When they reached her home, Trina finally turned pain-filled eyes toward him.

"Will you please stay with me tonight, Illya? I just feel so terribly afraid..."

Illya put his arms around her and felt how badly she was shaking. His heart ached for her, and he desperately wished that he could somehow do something to take away her fear and pain.

"Of course I will stay, darling, if that is what you want."

Trina changed into her nightgown and went to bed. Illya removed his slacks and turtleneck and joined her.

"Hold me, Illya."

Illya pulled her close to himself so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

"It is all right now, _dorogaya," _he murmured. "You are safe. Go to sleep."

"Illya?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Yes?"

"Why did you follow me?"

"I recognized the man you were with as a dangerous THRUSH agent. I was concerned that he meant you harm, and as it turned out, I could not have been more right."

"I don't know how I could have been so blind," Trina said. "He told me that he worked as a security guard, and I believed him."

"You are a very trusting person," Illya told her. "You are also kind and honest, and so it is only natural for you to assume that others you meet are the same way. Most of them are, but not all of them."

"I still wonder if I somehow did something to lead him on."

"What happened to you is not your fault at all, Trinochka. There is no reason for you to feel guilty."

Soon he heard her even breathing and realized that she was asleep. A feeling of deep compassion...and yes, love...for her washed over him. As badly as he wanted to stay awake to relish the warmth of her soft skin through the thin material of his undershirt, sleep soon overtook him as well.

He awakened the following morning to find her still asleep, her dark hair tickling his nose, and after debating whether to very gently arise and prepare breakfast for them both or to simply relish the moment, he quickly decided upon the latter.

After awhile she yawned and her eyes fluttered open. "Illya." She sounded surprised. "You're really here."

"Of course I am here, _dorogaya." _He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I was afraid it was just a dream."

"I made a mistake, Trinochka," he admitted. "I thought that I could live without you, but it was harder than I thought it would be. Much harder."

"You mean that you still want to be with me, even after what he did?"

"More than ever, Trinochka. As I said, it was not your fault at all. You are still the same beautiful, sweet girl I met at the dance. Nothing could ever change that."

Overwhelmed, Trina began to cry softly. Tenderly Illya kissed her tears away and assured her over and over again that he still found her desirable, that he wanted to be with her more than anything else in the world.


	18. Remorse

The man had been a dangerous THRUSH agent. He'd been directly responsible for the deaths of six innocent people, including four UNCLE agents. Something had had to be done, and it had fallen to Illya to do it. Rigging car bombs was one of his specialties.

Stealthily he'd followed the man for days, until he knew his schedule by heart. At exactly seven fifteen every weekday morning, the man's wife left in her car to drive their young daughter to school, and exactly fifteen minutes later, the man left his home in his own car.

There was no way anyone could have predicted that today the man's wife would be sick, that today the man himself would be driving his daughter to school in his own car.

Illya knew that the sound of the explosion would haunt him for the rest of his life, that the image of the little girl's brains splattered on the windshield was seared upon his memory forever.

Barely able to comprehend the horror of what had just happened, he staggered home to Trina in a daze. As soon as she saw him, she knew that something terrible had happened.

"Napoleon?" she asked. He shook his head no, then clung to her and sobbed, weeping bitterly for the innocent young life lost so tragically. She held him and tenderly stroked his lush blond locks, sensing the depth of his sorrow and knowing that nothing she could say would make it any better. What she didn't realize was how absolutely vital her presence was to him at that particular moment.

Lydia Kuryakin would never know the reason her father held her extra tightly as he said good-night to her that night, how reluctant he was to let her go, how long he stood silently in her doorway, just watching her sleeping peacefully, before heading for his own troubled sleep plagued with nightmares.


	19. Son

"He is beautiful," Illya said to Trina. "You did very well."

Trina smiled as she cuddled their newborn son. His unfocused dark blue eyes gazed up into hers, and one tiny fist flailed in the air. Illya caught it, and the tiny fingers curled around his much larger one.

"Hello." Illya smiled. "You are strong, little one."

"Just like his daddy," Trina added.

"Are you all right, _vozlyublennyy?"_

"I'm fine," said Trina. "Just a bit tired, is all."

Gently he swept the hair back from her face and lightly traced a finger along her jawline. _"Spasibo," _he said softly.

"I couldn't have done it without you," said Trina. They both laughed.

"Lydia's so excited," said Trina. "She can't wait to meet him."

"You are a lucky little boy," Illya told his new son. "You have a mama and a papa and a big sister who all love you very much."

"What shall we name him?" asked Trina.

"He shall be Dominik Illyich Kuryakin," Illya decided.

"I never would have thought of Dominik, but it's a nice name," said Trina. "Can we spell it the American way, with a 'c' at the end instead of a 'k'?"

_"Nyet." _Illya grinned.


	20. Tea

"I am going to show you the correct way to prepare tea," Illya told Trina. "The first step is to prepare the _kipyatok _in your samovar."

"Why, it looks like just plain water," Trina remarked.

"That is exactly what it is." Illya grinned and winked at her. "Next, we use the _kipyatok _to rinse the inside of your teapot, then immediately add three tablespoons of _zavarka. _Cover the teapot, wait about five seconds, then add the _kipyatok. _Next, stir in two tablespoons of strawberry jam."

"Interesting," said Trina. "I never would have thought of adding strawberry jam to tea. It must give it an interesting flavor."

"I never drink tea without jam in it," Illya told her. "Now, simply wait fifteen minutes, and your tea will be ready to drink."

"I can't wait to try it," said Trina.

"You are in for a real treat," Illya replied.


	21. Uncle Vanya

After the deaths of his parents, Illya went to live with his Uncle Vanya's family.

Uncle Vanya was waiting for him when he got off the train in Moscow. He welcomed the frightened eight-year-old warmly and took him home. Although Illya's uncle knew that he could never replace Nicolai Kuryakin in his young nephew's heart, he did his best to show Illya all the love he could, treating him the same as he did his own children. Despite the early trauma he'd suffered, Illya grew up to be reasonably well-adjusted adult. Much of the credit for that fact went to his Uncle Vanya.


End file.
